Asbestos Siding History

Once asbestos proved a stable and durable material it found its way into building construction products.

Asbestos siding history.

Lead paint wasn t outlawed until 1978 so it s sure to be present on siding going back to the 1950s. It is believed that as early as 4000 b c asbestos long hair like fibers were used for wicks in lamps and candles. Ludwig purchased a factory for asbestos goods in upper austria in 1893. It was used extensively in construction projects until the 1970s when it was banned owing to the health dangers it posed.

Advertised as a fireproof alternative to other roofing. Although invented at the end of the 19th century the material rose to necessity during world war ii to make sturdy inexpensive military housing and continued to be used widely following the war as an affordable external cladding for buildings. Asbestos in the ancient world asbestos occurs naturally on every continent in the world. Construction products using the highest asbestos content were.

Archeologists uncovered asbestos fibers in debris dating back to the stone age some 750 000 years ago. Cementious siding and roofing such as fiber cement siding lap siding and fiber cement roof shingles containing asbestos may then have appeared on homes constructed between 1906 and 1980 in north america and continuing later in some other countries. Insulation for building envelopes like floors walls and ceilings. Asbestos shingle history begins with inventor and entrepreneur ludwig hatschek who was born in the czech republic on october 9 1856.

Let the siding dry then prime and paint with the best exterior latex you can find. A brief history of asbestos cement siding. Asbestos cement was first developed in 1905 by the johns manville company who became one of the premier manufacturers of cement asbestos materials. Cementious siding and roofing such as fiber cement siding lap siding and fiber cement roof shingles containing asbestos may then have appeared on homes constructed between 1906 and 1980 in north america and contining later in some other countries.

In australia asbestos cement materials were first manufactured in the 1920s and were commonly used in the manufacture of residential building materials from the mid 1940s until the late 1980s. In 1900 he succeeded in the invention and factory productions of asbestos cement. Asbestos was first used in the 1930s because when mixed into building materials it offered flame resistance increased strength and insulation. During the 1980s asbestos cement materials were phased out in favour of asbestos free products.

It s safe to say that most construction materials made from the 1930s to the early 1980s had some asbestos content. Covering old asbestos shingles with new siding may seem like an option too but it s not easy to do safely.